Sorting device.



F. CARSON.

SORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1?. ms.

86, Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

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SORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. :1. 191a.

Patented Oct. 30,1917.

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F. CARSON.

SORTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION mzo MM. 17, me.

Patented (Est. 30, 1917,

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F. CARSON.

SORUNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ma. :7, me.

Patented Oct. 30,1917.

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G} ig/moses 3 r one.

FRANK season, or CARD, MICHIGAN.

SORTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed March 17, 1916. Serial No. 84,888.

To all whom it may concern .1

Be it known that I, FRANK CAnsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Caro, in the county of Tuscolaand tate of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements inSorting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sorting devices which are utilized to separatedefective beans and other objects from perfect ones of their kind, theinvention havingspecial ref-, erence to that class of devices in whichthe objects to be separated are carried by a conveyer in full view ofthe operator or attendant, said conveyer having pockets or cells withyielding bottom members through which the defective objects may bepushed by the fingers of the operator, leaving the perfect objects to bedischarged over the conveyer.

One object of the invention is to simplify and improve the constructionof the endless conveyer which constitutes an important part of thedevice.

Another object of the invention is to produce simple and improved meansfor conveying the objects from a source of supply and depositing thesame in the cells or pockets of the conveyer.

A further object of the invention is to produce a cylindricaldistributing member,

operated in conjunction with the endless.

conveyor and adapted to distribute the objects to be separated in thepockets of the conveyer, one object in each pocket.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has. been illustrated a simple andpreferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that nolimitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details thereinexhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within thescope of the claims maybe resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-

Figural is a top planview of a machine constructed in accordance withthe 1I1VeI1-' tion.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverseseotional view taken on the line 4-4: in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of the distributing cylinder.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view, enlarged, of a portion of the endlessconveyer taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1. h

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view, showing a small portion, of the top leadof the endless conveyer. I

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig.9 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 99 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 1010 in Fig. 2.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference.

The main frame 15 of the machine is provided with bearings for shafts16,17 and 18 over which an endless conveyer C is trained,

said shafts being] provided with sprocket wheels 19 engaging the linksof the conveyer. The boxes or bearings of at least one of the shafts areadjustably connected with the frame by means of set screws 20, thisconstruction being shown applied tothe shaft in Fig. 2 where one of thebearings is indi cated by 21, and the set screws 20 areshown extendingthrough a slot 22 in the frame.

This construction enables the conveyer C to be properly tensioned sothat the top lead of said conveyer will be maintained in a levelcondition, the supporting shafts 16 and 17 being arranged substantiallyin a horizontal plane, and the sprocket wheels 19 being of equal size.

The conveyer C in its preferred construction comprises chains 23, one ateach side,

- relatively near the cross bars 25 which, are

at the front with respect to the upper lead when the conveyer is movingin a direction r- I The charts 39, i0 and ll indicated by the arrow inFig The seteral pockets are proiided with leaves or bottom members thesame being hingedly connected with the cross bars '25 and positionedwith their free ends beneath and abutting on the cross bars 2%, eachbottom member being pressed by the arm of a spring, a portion of whichis coiled about one of the cross bars 25, as seen at 31, s spring havinganother arm 32- that engage the cross bar 223. It will be seen that bythi. simple construction, the endless coni'eyer, is made to comprise a'large nurnber of pool;- ets, each of: which has a yieldably supportedleaf or bottom member which may be readily depressed against the tensionoi it actuating spring to enable an object supported thereon to bepushed through the top leaf of the conreyer. It will also be seen thatby properly spacing the cross bars 28 from the cross bars 25, the saidcross bars 28 will not lie in the path of an object that is being pushedover the supporting leai or bottom member which is directly in the frontthereof, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. TL, entire con eyer being constructedof meta will be rigid, and will not be liable to sit when in operation,especially when properly tensioned by previous adjustment or the,

tensioning shatt- 1S1 The frame of the machine supports at one 7 endthereof the receptacle 33 in which operates a feeder F which consists ofan and less conyeyer composed of slats 3% which are flexibly connectedtogether by means of linkvbelts 35 trained over sprockets 36, 37, and 38on shafts 39, 40 and il, said shafts being supported for rotation inboxes or bearings carried by the frame structure. arranged the corners ftriangle, the apex of which dips into the receptacle 33. The boxes inwhich the shafts 39, M) are supported for rotation.

are vertically adjustable in guides 42 by means including screw threadedrods 43 and wing nuts is, thereby enabling the con veyer chains 35 to betensioned or tightened as may be required. the shaft a l arelongitudinally adjustable with respect to the longitudinal trance bars46, on which they are mounted, byineans of set screws l? engagingtheboxes 48 through slots Al in the frame bars e 6, thereby enabling thelowermost portion of the conveyer or feeder, l to be adjustedlongitudinally to the. most advantageousposition.-

Theslats 34 of the feeder, F are provided with cups 50, each of saidcups being: of a supportsthe feeder F also supports a shield 51 fwiuclrsd1sposed adgacent to-the rearv The boxes supporting nae-spec ward leadof the feeder, said shield being equipped with a plurality of chutes 52forined by partitions 53 and rear wall portions 51, the latter beingprovided at their upper nds with rearwardly extending to u s 55 pointingin the direction of the torn .rd lead of the feeder. The chutes 552 arearranged in registry with the cups 50 on the feeder slats so that thecontents'of' the separate cups will be dumped or discharged intoseparate chutes. The shield 51 and the rail member at which constitute,respectively, the front and rear walls of the chutes are provided attheir, lower ends with is provided with sprocket wheels 63 engage,

ing the conveyer chains 23, so that the distributing; cylinder will beoperated by and concurrently with the conyeyer Gin such a fashion thatthe contents of each otthe cells 62 ofthe distributing cylinder will bedischarged into one of the pockets D of the c con eyer.

The shaft 39 of thei eeder F may be'driven by a inotioi transmittedthereto means from the shaft 16. The marably driven by power applied 1'?at the discharge end of the saio shaft 17 been shown i. i i a band wheel65, although is to be understood that the machine to the point shall, be,garded as most convenient. in the operation of thisdevice, the beans orother objects that are to be separated are. The feeder F' placed in thereceptacle ha ing the cups 50 will lift the beans from the receptacleand carry them to the chute.

52, whereby they areconveyed to the cells of the distributing" cylinder,which, latter, being operated conjointly with, the conveyer C, willserve to distribute the beans singly in the pocketsllthearrangementbeing such that a bean will be placed in each one of thepockets. The beans will thus be spread out evenly before the gazeof-the' operator who by pressing, or pushing the defective beans willforce the same through the top lead of the con eyer, and into the pan orreceptacle 66 placed underneath.

The good beans will be discharged over the tail end or? the converter (3to suitable r ceptacle provided for the purpose but not shown. It isobvious that the machine may be speeded to suit the skill andconvenience of the operator.

l'iiaving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. ina machineof the class described an endless conveyor having asubstantially horizontal top lead, said conveyor being proided withpockets arranged in transverse and also in longitudinal alinement, incombination with a distributing cylinder supported for rotation adjacentto the top lead of the conveyor, said cylinder having rows of cells eachcorresponding with a transverse row of pockets in the conveyer, meansfor feeding material to the distributing cylinder, and means forrotating the cylinder concurrently with the operation of the conveyor tospace the rows of cells in the distributing cylinder successively indischarging relation with respect to the rows of pockets in theconveyor.

in a machine of the class described an end ess conveyer having asubstantially horirontal top lead, said conveyer being provided withpockets arranged in transverse and also in longitudinal alinement, incombination with a distributing cylinder supported for rotation adjacentto the top lead of the convcyer, said cylinder having rows of cells eachcorresponding with a transverse row of pockets in the conveyer, meansfor feeding material to the distributing cylinder, and 11 cans forrotating the cylinder concurrently with the operation of the conveyor tospace the rows of cells in the distributing cylinder successively indischargingrelation with respect to the rows of pockets in the conveyor;in combination with a housing for the distributing cylinder having alongitudinal slot the bottom portion thereof to permit comtion between arou of cells of the cyland a row of pockets in the conveyor. 3. in amachine of the class described, an

conveyer having a substantially horiital top lead, said conveyor beingprovided with pockets arranged in transverse and also in lcngituiilinalalinement, in combination with a distributing cylinder supported forrotation adjacent to the top lead of the con- -r, said cylinder havingrows of cells each cor pending with a transverse row of pockets in theconveyer, means for feeding and a plurality of feed chutes communicating with a row of cells in the distributing cylinder through the topportion of the housing.

at. In a sorting machine, a sorting belt consisting of a pair of chains,sprocket carrying shafts over which said chains are guided, transverserods connecting said chains, links carried by thetransverse rods andcooperating therewith to constitute pockets, some of said links havingofiset portions, auxiliary transverse rods carried by said oflsetportions, bottom members pivoted on the alternately disposed transverserods and having free ends adjacent to the intermediate transverse rods,and springs coiled on the rods on which the bottom members are pivotedand ha ing arms engaging, respectively, the pivoted bottom members andthe auxiliary transverse rods supported by the oiiset portions of thelinks.

In a machine of the class described, a sorting belt living pockets eachincluding portions of two transverse parallel rods and links connectingthe same, a third transverse rod supported intermediate and offset fromthe first mentioned rods, a bottom member pivoted on one of the firstmentioned rods and having a free end portion extending adjacent to theother of said first mentioned rods, and a spring coiled on the rod onwhich the bottom member is pivoted, said spring having arms one of whichengages the pivoted bottom member, the other arm engaging the transverserod offset from the first mentioned rods.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK CARSON.

Witnesses:

CLARK E. DAUGHERTY, J. H. BECKTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. i

